Can you comment on my lung function tests?

Question

Hello doctor,

I recently had issues with a somewhat forced breathing and a cold or a cough that is not clearing up from the last two to three months. The doctor sent me for a pulmonary test, the results of which I have attached. What do they mean? I have also attached my latest blood reports. Can you comment on both of these?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through both the reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Your lung function tests detected a decreased diffusing capacity which can be due to either a vascular disease that decreases the blood supply to a portion of the lung or parenchyma disease that makes part of the lung unable to perform its function. The causes include:

Restrictive lung diseases, causing a thickening of the alveolar capillary membrane such as pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis.
Obstructive lung diseases and diseases causing a decreased surface area in the lungs such as emphysema, asthma, lung cancer, and lung surgery.
Other conditions which reduce the surface area of the alveoli capillary membranes such as pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hemorrhage, and primary pulmonary hypertension.

This requires further testing with lung CT or MRI to be able to diagnose. Also, you have high cholesterol levels that should be treated with Crestor (Rosuvastatin) once daily for a month, and then the tests can be repeated. Also, your A1C level is border line. So, I would recommend you decrease the intake of simple carbohydrates like white flour and white bread and increase the intake of complex carbohydrates such as oats and brown bread. Also, decreasing fatty and sugary foods will help decrease the level of A1C which predicts the risk of developing diabetes within a five-year interval if you do not start adopting a healthier life style.